Hyden Farm

Interested in things of old? Well, you won’t have too far to look from here, as Butser Ancient Farm (10 minutes’ drive) recreates ancient Stone Age, Iron Age, Roman Britain and Anglo-Saxon buildings, while Stansted Park (20 minutes) harks back to Victorian and Edwardian times with walks around the walled garden, a yew maze, light railway and mansion. Portsmouth (25 minutes) might have a lot of what you’d expect from a waterfront city – sailing and windsurfing activities and restaurants with a view – but it also has its own historic sites, especially the historic dockyard, which houses a Tudor shipwreck and other historic boats. You might be looking to indulge in a beach day or jet-skiing, sailing and swimming at Hill Head Beach (40 minutes) too, but those of you who can’t turn down walks in the stunning South Downs National Park will be well situated too… perhaps the ancient yews and wildlife at Kingley Vale (40 minutes) or the birds and woodlands around Beacon Hill National Nature Reserve (15 minutes) will draw you in first? Or cycling or mountain biking around the Queen Elizabeth Country Park (15 minutes)?